


Comfortember 10: Crying

by FlyinBanachab



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, One year!, Physical Therapy, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyinBanachab/pseuds/FlyinBanachab
Summary: Pinako circled Ed slowly, making notes in her file, as he tried to stand up straight and steady. His posture was improving at an astonishing rate. She tried not to let that astonishment show as she came back around to face him."Okay, now touch your hands above your head."
Relationships: Edward Elric & Pinako Rockbell
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	Comfortember 10: Crying

Pinako circled Ed slowly, making notes in her file, as he did his best to stand straight and steady. His posture was improving at an astonishing rate. She tried not to let that astonishment show as she came back around to face him.  


"Okay, now touch your hands above your head." Ed struggled to lift his automail arm, forming a diamond with touching fingertips hovering just above his hairline.That was more than he’d done before, and for most patients, that would be all she’d ask. But for Ed? Pinako clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Come on Ed, arms fully extended."

He snapped back, "What do you think I'm tryin ta do?" and strained to straighten his right arm. It wobbled and shook, but eventually he got there, clapping his palms together with a triumphant, " _Ha!_ " As if she’d been taunting him that he couldn't do it. It was too much, though; Ed immediately dropped his arms, panting. Sweat glistened on his forehead.

Pinako let him catch his breath, then said, "Again, but try and hold it this time."

Ed whispered a curse, gritted his teeth, nodded forcefully, and slowly, slowly forced his shaking arm upward. Sweating, panting, shaking, _crying_ from the effort-- he'd stopped trying to hide his tears after the second session.

_"It takes all my energy just to wiggle my toe, I can't waste any on”--sniffle-- “not cryin. ...you won't tell anyone, will you?"_

_"Not a soul." By which they both meant Winry. "Not that I have to. You know, Ed-- Everyone cries in here."_

That had been three weeks ago, and he'd cried in every session since. Most people, even the determined ones, even the ex-military, even the professional athletes, had to be goaded into exerting a therapeutic level of effort. Pinako didn’t hold it against them; they were fighting the body's self-preservation instincts, after all. But Ed-- day after day, Ed gritted his teeth and dug in. He pushed past all his body's warnings, deep into the reserves the body pretends isn't there, the ones it holds back for when you're lost in the desert. Ed was the only patient she'd ever had to tell to _back off_ , worried he was going to turn all the fragile new skin into a ragged mess. But somehow, he had managed not to hurt himself, not to cause himself any unnecessary setbacks, and-- his progress was borderline miraculous. If he kept this up, he really might make that one-year goal. From anyone else, the idea was absurd, absolutely ridiculous, but... this was Ed.

"Okay," she said, finally, and Ed immediately bent double, hands on his knees.  


"That's it for today, sit down." He collapsed into a chair, and Pinako pulled cloths from an ice bath to wrap around his attachment points. Ed sighed gratefully, and closed his eyes, too exhausted to say anything. Maybe the most unexpected benefit from the therapy was how peaceful the house had now become, now that Ed had no energy left to pick fights.

Ten minutes passed by in silence, then she plucked the rags from him and Ed stumbled back into the wheelchair. How he could do that without help, after a session like this... when he's older, and better able to hear it, she'll tell him how remarkable he was. Pinako squeezed his shoulder as she pushed him into the living room. Ed opened his eyes and straightened his back as they rounded the corner; Al was waiting for him, as always.  


"Take it easy for the rest of the day, now. You worked hard in there. Don't risk injuring yourself," she said, like she said every day. She knew he’d be asking Al for a repeat of the session in an hour.  



End file.
